(Photo : Tomdog/Wikimedia/CC) Nina Dobrev at PaleyFest at the Saban Theatre in Los Angeles, California on March 2010.

Things were never the same again for "The Vampire Diaries" since lead star Nina Dobrev, who plays Elena Gilbert, left the series. Showrunner Julie Plec said that they became more adventurous with their storylines after they killed off Elena, but given the chance to resurrect the character, they will do so in a hearbeat.

When Variety asked Plec how she felt about Dobrev's departure, she answered: "On an emotional level, it's sad because she's Nina and she was Elena and we all love her and loved that character, but on a creative level, it's been refreshing in ways that I cannot even explain."

As heartbreaking as it was to say goodbye to Dobrev and Elena, Plec said that the good thing is that they were able to focus on the relationship between Damon (Ian Somerhalder) and Stefan Salvatore (Paul Wesley).

"To be able to sit and not have to break a story from the point of view of, how does this advance the love triangle this week? It just feels good to be able to tell the story about two brothers who are more bonded and, as such, at odds more than ever before, and you're writing this terrific relationship piece now about these two guys, and it's just been so fun to write this year," she explained. "The writers, we're just enjoying the hell out of it. Yes, I miss her deeply and would take her back in an instant if she called and said, 'Hey, can I come back and play?' But purely from a creative point of view, it's been a real new infusion of creative fun."

There will soon be a crossover between "The Vampire Diaries" and "The Originals," and Plec is really excited about the prospect.

"I've wanted to do this for a really long time and find a way to do it that didn't feel like we were jamming story for the sake of cross-pollinating the shows," said Plec.

The crossover will span for two episodes, and Plec is sharing a few spoilers about it.

"Stefan will go to New Orleans in a 'Vampire Diaries' episode and then he will remain in New Orleans in 'The Originals' to help Klaus (Joseph Morgan) deal with a problem that is super specific to Stefan's survival," Plec teased.

Stefan will not be alone on his journey, because another vampire will also be included.

"There is a presence of Caroline (Candice King) buried within that, but I can't really say in what context," she said.